Somewhere Down The Line
by FelixFelicis-LiquidLuck
Summary: Sirius Black was, at first, simply the annoying stranger with the nice arse that kept appearing everywhere Remus went. Somewhere down the line, Sirius ends up befriending Remus and somewhere down the line, Remus falls for him. *Muggle AU*


Remus is sitting in a small coffee shop, staring at the wall as he sips his frappuccino. The clean page of his sketchbook glares up at him almost tauntingly, but Remus has no idea what to draw.

For four days now, he hasn't had inspiration in his art. His eyebrows knit together in frustration as he looks around the shop, hoping for something that would magically give him motivation or at least some vague direction.

"Mind if I sit next to you?" a voice behind him asks.

He turns around to find a male, around the same age as him, standing behind him. He's outfit is daring - leather jacket, black low-cut t-shirt, tight black jeans - and he's drawing looks from the other customers sitting in the coffee shop. He's ridiculously good-looking, with artfully tussled black hair, shining eyes and a charming smile.

He wonders, for a moment, if that painfully cheerful voice really belongs to the delinquent-looking person behind him.

He clears his throat. "Uh, sure."

The stranger sits down ungracefully and slurps his mocha loudly, but other than that, they sit in silence.

Remus is thankful. This person seems like the type to annoy people senseless with unnecessary and endless blabber.

"My name's Sirius!"

Remus resists the urge to face-palm. "Remus."

"I like this coffee shop," Sirius continues, smiling fondly. "I think the dark red maroon theme looks really good! And the dark red-dy light makes everything sort of glow."

"Red-dy," Remus repeats, raising an eyebrow, closing his sketchbook and hoping desperately that Sirius doesn't ask to see his drawings.

Sirius nods eagerly and Remus is reminded of a hyper puppy.

"Don't you think?"

"Uh, I guess?" Remus replies uncertainly. And they're silent for a little more.

"Can I see your drawings?" Sirius asks excitedly, leaning forward and looking far more interested in the sketchbook than Remus is comfortable with.

"I'm...not really comfortable with showing people my stuff," Remus says stiffly, feeling slightly bad, despite himself. Sirius just shrugs lightheartedly.

More silence. This time, Remus is tense, waiting for Sirius to start talking, any minute now.

"What you drinking?" Sirius asks suddenly. Remus looks up, slightly frustrated but mostly in awe of this stranger who managed to ignore every single sign - whether it be the body language or lack of answers - that pointed towards the fact that _Remus didn't want to talk to him_.

"Um, caramel frappuccino."

"I've got that cookie crumble mocha, but I really couldn't decide between cookie crumble or coconut! I'll get the coconut one next time because it looks so good and it's bound to taste good, right? I mean, everything coconut is good! Look at Bounty! You like Bounty?"

Remus shrugs. "It's okay, I guess." He doesn't mention that he hates it with a passion.

He gulps the frappuccino as quickly as possibly, brain-freeze be damned. Anything to get away from this guy.

"You'll get brain-freeze," Sirius says in a concerned tone and Remus has to close his eyes to stop himself from rolling them.

Is this guy seriously worrying about a stranger getting brain-freeze?

"I'll be fine," Remus shrugs but Sirius already has two fingers pressed on both temples and rubbing gently. There's just enough pressure to push away the permanent head-ache that Remus has had for the past couple of days and as he leans forward to reach the sandy-haired male, his already revealingly-low shirt presents even more skin and... fuck was that his _nipple?_

Remus almost moans. Because of the fingers of course. Not the nipples. Obviously. Why would he be interested in a stranger's nipples?

(Sirius' hands are sinfully skilful and Remus wonders what else they might be good at...)

"That feel good?" Sirius asks, head tilted innocently.

"Holy shit, yes," Remus blurts, closing his eyes. Sirius giggles slightly and removes his hands.

"Well, I should be going soon. I've got to get back to work," Sirius says, standing up and smiling. Remus realizes that Sirius has already finished his drink. "Nice meeting you, Remus!"

"Bye," Remus replies with a polite smile and it's not until Sirius grins back that he realizes that Sirius Black may not have matched Remus' first impression.

He's a little surprised. Is it legal to be annoying as hell _and_ cute at the same time?

"You should try the coconut mocha next time!" Sirius calls as he walks out, attracting attention. Remus feels like dissolving in a puddle of embarrassment as people turn to look at him.

Oh, well. He'll forgive Sirius. Only because he has a nice ass. Not that Remus was looking. But boy, those jeans left _nothing_ to the imagination...

Remus often draws without thinking, simply letting his subconscience or whatever guide his hand. Today is one of those days. His hand runs across the paper and he doesn't question it, not really, until he's finished and realizes what he's just drawn.

A black leather jacket and artfully tussled black hair.

* * *

Remus meets Sirius again later on that week. He thinks he's supposed to be surprised, but he can't really manage it. Sirius seemed like the type to worm his way into someone's life. Sitting next to them and nattering away wouldn't be enough for him.

He's buying grocery shopping when he bumps into him. Literally. His trolley hits a solid mass and he hears a groan.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you," he says, abandoning the trolley to help him up.

"Fancy seeing you here," Sirius grins and Remus just snorts. Of _course_ he'd grin and joke around while lying on the floor after being attacked by a trolley.

"Who says 'fancy' any more?" he smiles. "Are you hurt?"

"My side kind of aches a little, but I'll be fine," Sirius beams and Remus smiles back, relieved.

"Good. I was worried I might have killed you."

"Worried?" Sirius says slyly and Remus looks away, embarrassed.

"Shut up," he says without any real bite. "But you're okay, right?"

"Right as rain!" Sirius announces seriously, before grinning. Remus blinks before allowing a small laugh to escape his lips.

"What?" Sirius asks curiously when Remus is still sniggering several minutes later.

"Sorry," Remus apologized. Sirius probably thinks he's weird now. "It's just... You're really _happy_ , all the time. It's nice talking to someone like that."

"I am and always will be the optimist. The hoper of far-flung hopes and the dreamer of improbable dreams," Sirius says dramatically, before adding, "That's a quote."

Remus feels vaguely impressed. "By who?"

"Not who," Sirius says wisely. "But Who."

"Who?" Remus asks, confused.

"Who. With a capital 'W'. As in Doctor Who."

Remus rolls his eyes. And to think he thought Sirius might know anything about Winston Churchill. They talk a little more, before they go their different ways.

(But not without Remus sneaking another look at Sirius's ass because damn.)

* * *

Remus is drawing more than ever. The past twelve pages all contain sketches of dark hair, leather jackets and charming smiles. He wonders what that says about him, but decides not to think too much into it. Over-analysing has always been one of his faults.

* * *

Remus is at the dog park, walking his dog, Tucker. He's only been walking for five minutes when another dog, a large white one, comes running and starts terrorizing Tucker.

"Roxy! Down!" a familiar voice yells. The dog backs away, whining slightly, and Remus picks Tucker up, looking around for the source of the voice.

And, of course, it's Sirius.

"Oh, hi, Remus," he says cheerfully. "Sorry about Roxy, she's a menace, but she means well."

"We meet again," Remus replies in a mock-menacing voice, and something stirs in his stomach when Sirius laughs.

Sirius has a weird laugh. Remus thinks he likes it.

"Roxy's a nice name for a dog," Remus comments as Sirius is feeding said dog, throwing biscuits in the air and watching Roxy jump for them. "I wish I named my dog something nicer, but it's too late for it to learn.

"What's your dog's name?" Sirius asks, petting Tucker and smiling when the dog rolls over and presents his stomach.

"Tucker," Remus tells him and he can't help but be a little suspicious that Tucker is so comfortable with Sirius. He usually takes ages to get used to someone enough to demand petting. He wonders if Sirius has dog biscuits in his pocket or something.

"I think dogs can still learn a new name," Sirius says, sounding unsure. "Right?"

"No idea," Remus shrugs as Roxy trots up to him and looks at him with big sad eyes. Remus gives in and begins petting her.

"What would you name him?" Sirius asks. "I named my other dog after myself. Called it Padfoot."

"Padfoot?"

"Friend's nickname for me," Sirius dismissed. "He started calling me that back when we were in school together. What was your school nickname? Did you have one?"

Remus shakes his head and wonders whether Sirius is just a particularly oversized kindergartner. He watches as Roxy moves away from him, running to a tree and barking up it.

"Well, you need one," Sirius decides and that's that. Remus is going to have a nickname.

"How about Moony?" Sirius suggests after various options. Remus raises an eyebrow.

"Moony?"

"Because you're pale like the moon, but the moon's beautiful and so are you," Sirius says triumphantly. Remus feels colour flood to his cheeks.

"I'm no-" Remus starts to protest, embarrassed, but Sirius ignores him.

"Roxy!" he calls and the dog comes running back. Instead of going towards Sirius, she comes back to Remus, who resumes his petting.

"Roxy doesn't get used to people that quick normally," Sirius comments, sounding surprised.

"Must be my natural charm," Remus grins.

"Wanna get coffee?" Sirius smiles. "I'll treat you."

"I'm pretty much a stranger," Remus points out, trying not to laugh. "How do you know if I'm a psychopath or not?"

But Remus ends up going.

Only because Sirius's paying.

"I'm totally going to try that coconut mocha," Sirius babbles. "I can practically taste it right now."

Remus sends him a quizzical look and Sirius grins unashamedly.

"What are you going to buy? I'll pay!"

"It's alright," Remus smiles, because he has now decided that he may actually enjoy Sirius's presence.

"No, it's okay!" Sirius beams and Remus has to blink because Sirius's smile is kind of blinding but Sirius beaming is...

"I'm not homeless and I'm not, in any way, in a financial crisis, and I won't go bankrupt from buying one coffee so I'd rather you didn't. I'll just feel the need to pay you back," he says firmly, still smiling.

Sirius shrugs casually and accepts this.

After a moment's hesitation, Remus gets the coconut mocha.

They decide to walk whilst drinking. Roxy and Tucker are on leashes and they walk, talking about anything that comes to mind.

"You sound like a dolphin when you laugh," Remus grins and Sirius has to hold a hand to his mouth to stop himself from laughing.

"You sound like... like a giant squid!" Sirius replies petulantly and Remus shakes his head at his childishness.

"I'm sorry, how old are you again?" he asks pointedly and Sirius sticks his tongue out.

They walk in silence, sipping and watching their dogs, who had become friends.

"Sirius!" a voice screams and Remus looks up to see a woman, a couple of years older than them.

"Sirius, I missed you!" she squeals and they hug. Remus can't help but feel awkward.

"Oh my God, how are you?" Sirius asks, playing with her hair, and she beams.

"Fine!"

She notices Remus.

"Hi, who are you?" she asks brightly. Remus smiles.

"Uh, I'm Remus. You're...?"

"Andromeda," Sirius says.

" _Andy_!" Andromeda/Andy protests. "I used to be Sirius's neighbour before he moved," she says resentfully and Sirius laughs.

"You're still upset about that?" he grins, shaking his head.

She ignores him pointedly.

"I like your hair," she says to Remus and he touches his sandy hair self-consciously. "No one has that hair colour in our family. Everyone's either blonde or has black hair. It's _boring_."

"Thank you," he smiles politely.

"Rodolphus and Rabastan were just behind me, so you'd better run," she says in a stage whisper and Sirius eyes light up almost immediately.

"Do you think they still remember?"

"Definitely," Andy nods.

Sirius and Remus looked behind her to see two dark-haired males walking towards them stiffly. Even from afar, Remus can see the murder in their eyes. They look _pissed_.

Sirius hands the leashes to Andy, grabs Remus's arm and runs, dragging him behind him.

"Don't," Sirius pants. "Stop."

"Are you telling me to stop or not to stop?" Remus says breathlessly.

"Don't stop!"

They finally make it to an alleyway.

They lean again a wall, panting.

"Hey," Sirius says suddenly. "Do you think, in some parallel universes, we've met before now?"

Remus raises an eyebrow. "I've never really thought about parallel universes."

"But imagine," Sirius insists. "If, in some other universe, we were colleagues, and in another universe, childhood best friends, and in another, we were wizards who go to a massive wizardry and witchcraft school and in another universe, we were dating and in-"

"Dating?" Remus repeats and Sirius blushes.

"N-not that I want to date you, well, I wouldn't mind, there's nothing wrong with you, but, well, if you're straight, that makes sense, right, and I didn't mean-"

"You're not even making sense," Remus points out and Sirius pauses, breathes, before starting again.

"I'm gay," he says, looking intensely at Remus for his reaction. Remus blinks. Sirius was... gay. _Gay_. And Remus was male, and, apparently, very much interested in the dark-haired male. Oh my god, Remus had a _chance_ , for once. He had finally caught a cute guy who _wasn't_ straight.

"I'm sorry. If you don't feel comfortable talking to me, I understand," Sirius says quietly.

Remus moves to stand right in front of Sirius. Sirius looks up, surprised, just as Remus leans forward and kisses him. A soft, light kiss on the lips, before pulling away.

"You're really bad with words," Remus grins and Sirius laughs sheepishly, straightening up.

"So... What does this mean? What are we?"

"Well, I'm guessing we're humans," Remus replies with a raised eyebrow, grinning when Sirius swats at his arm playfully, only it actually hurts.

Remus kisses Sirius again, just because he can.

"Boyfriends sounds pretty good to me," he murmurs.

Sirius beams.

"So does that mean I can see your sketchbook now?"


End file.
